Is there a chance someone knows for sure the identity of the ripper?

[Harry D]

Well nobody alive could have firsthand knowledge who the Ripper was, because at best they would be pushing 130 years old

And would've been two years old?

[Fisherman]

...humans have a tendency to crap out in their 80s, though occasionally you get someone who sticks around for like 113 years max.

122 years and 164 days, actually: Jeanne Calment.

[Errata]

Well nobody alive could have firsthand knowledge who the Ripper was, because at best they would be pushing 130 years old, and humans have a tendency to crap out in their 80s, though occasionally you get someone who sticks around for like 113 years max. So, still dead.

[el_pombo]

Hi,

If the police knew the ID of the killer that is a terrible problem in many ways. I can only refer to Monro.

And as for the other question about relatives, there have already been people claiming to be relatives of the killer, and so we will always have the risk of such people being attention seekers.

I only know that history leaves trails and that it also does leave trails that are not meant to be trails. The only way to find the killer is to understand the sources. That is what I believe.

Regards, Pierre

Hi, Pierre!

I agree and I was excluding attention seekers, and there can always be persons who truly believe to be related to JTR based on family legends or hearsay who mean well, but are wrong.

But one can never know, maybe there's someone who has real proof or could put us in the right track!

Regards.

[el_pombo]

Something which might (possibly) turn up could be a note from an embassy passing on confidential information, and naming JTR. I would vote for the Spanish or French embassy in that case.

Best wishes
C4

Hi, curious4.

And there's always the JTR files never declassified by the Scotland Yard to avoid compromising the "identities of police informants"!

Regards!

[el_pombo]

I would imagine there are probably multiple families who "know for sure" they had a relative who was the Ripper. Someone should organize a convention for them once a year so they can debate it.

Hi, Kensei!

lol... I'd surely like to attend that convention as an observer, maybe something meaningful would come out of the debate!

One of those families could have the real answer, i.e. one that could be proven!

While writing this post, I remembered Michael Caine as Inspector Abberline in the TV Mini-Series "Someone, somewhere, knows something"!

All the best!

[Pierre]

Keep in mind that the reward which was quite lucrative given the economic situation of most inhabitants of Whitechapel produced nothing but false leads.

c.d.

That is very interesting. Do you happen know any good literature on this? Or some sources?

Regards, Pierre

[Pierre]

I've been thinking about this for some time, I believe there is a chance, as slim as it may be, that someone still alive knows the identity of the ripper but never came forward.

There are several possibilities, the police could have known the identity of the murderer and that information can still exist in the form of classified archives, or, for example, a relative of the murderer could know the truth. It's not impossible (although very unlikely) that a son or daughter of the murderer could still be alive (let's say he was 20 in 1888 and had a child when he was 60 - 1928 - that person would be around 88 years old by now), and a grandson or granddaughter are a good possibility. It could be a well kept family secret and could very well be the only way of finding the truth after so many years.

Of course, one would still have to prove the allegations of anyone who came forward.

I wonder if this has ever been taken seriously as a path of investigation in modern days.

Does anyone see this as a true possibility of solving the murders?

Hi,

If the police knew the ID of the killer that is a terrible problem in many ways. I can only refer to Monro.

And as for the other question about relatives, there have already been people claiming to be relatives of the killer, and so we will always have the risk of such people being attention seekers.

I only know that history leaves trails and that it also does leave trails that are not meant to be trails. The only way to find the killer is to understand the sources. That is what I believe.

Regards, Pierre

[John G]

Yes, "Pierre" does, apparently!

[curious4]

Something which might (possibly) turn up could be a note from an embassy passing on confidential information, and naming JTR. I would vote for the Spanish or French embassy in that case.

Best wishes
C4

[Observer]

bubble burster

"Our only slim hope lies with the outstandingly deductive mind of Micheal Richards."

Then our situation is truly hopeless.

c.d.

Shameful c.d. Oh ye of little faith. You might well have a point though.

[kensei]

I would imagine there are probably multiple families who "know for sure" they had a relative who was the Ripper. Someone should organize a convention for them once a year so they can debate it.

[Mayerling]

There's plenty on here who claim to know the Ripper's identity.

True, metaphorically speaking.

[SuspectZero]

I do believe there is evidence out there. I do believe someone knows the truth, can prove it, and it will eventually come out.

[gnote]

There's plenty on here who claim to know the Ripper's identity.

That's just it. Never mind the countless "sleuths" that believe they've solved the case, there are both police and family who believed they knew identity of the Ripper. Whether or not they have something concrete to base that on is another matter entirely.